USF Women's

Eight teams raced in combined "A" and "B" divisions on the south end of Tampa Bay, at the site of the 2013 spring college national championships. Flat calm at 8am rapidly progressed to sailing conditions by 10:30 am, into the low teens by noon, and building to the upper teens as the front approached.

A brief lunch break, and then back out for some great action with gusts recorded at 30 knots just a few miles away. Courses were W3, W4, and W5's. No breakdowns, no protests. 10 races sailed, averaging 15 minutes in length.

Cold temperatures (for Florida) and a windchill factor down to 40 degrees greeted competitors. As forecast, winds were more northerly, diminishing throughout the day. Extremely flat water and shifty conditions put a premium on looking up the course to see where the next pressure / shift was coming from.

A fairly strong incoming tide resulted in several general recalls. The final 3 sets were sailed in W3, W4, and W5's, and racing was completed by 2:30 p.m. No breakdowns and no protests.

Huge thanks to coaches from Stanford, Coast Guard, Eckerd, Hawaii, Charleston, and Middlebury for handling mark set duties and doubling as safety boat. For the first trial run of Nationals, most deemed the venue quite a success.

Congratulations to the winning Stanford team, and thanks to all competitors for their support of the event.